Advancing Kentucky Together: UK horticulturist Alexis Sheffield

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Jan. 30, 2025) — The University of Kentucky’s impact extends greater than the city limits of Lexington. UK works together with Kentucky’s 120 counties through the Cooperative Extension Service.

Alexis Sheffield started her career with UK as an extension agent for Boyle County and now serves as an extension specialist for horticulture at the Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment.

Now, she has teamed up with two fiber artists, Crystal Gregory, an associate professor in the College of Fine Arts School of Art and Visual Studies, and Shari Dutton, a staff horticulturalist in the Martin-Gatton College, to experiment with the natural dyeing of fabric, as opposed to synthetic dyes.

They all worked together to plant a dye garden outside of the Boyle County Extension office. They harvested the dye plants and held workshops with extension agents from other communities to demonstrate how to use the dye.

The project is just one of many examples of UK’s colleges working together to extend knowledge and resources to Kentucky’s communities.

This year’s institutional TV commercial focuses on the people across campus — and the Commonwealth — who put in the work to advance Kentucky day and night. Sheffield shared her voice for the both the 30-second and 60-second spots. While we hear only a few seconds from each of them, they have powerful stories to tell.

UKNow asked Sheffield a few questions about what it means to be part of the UK community — and of a legacy — of people who are working to advance Kentucky. 

Read the Q&A below.

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UKNow: What makes the University of Kentucky special?  

Sheffield: I have been a UK student, a county extension agent and I am now a state extension specialist, and I think one of the most exceptional things about our university is its potential to be a part of the lives of all Kentuckians. You don’t have to be in Lexington or be a student for the University of Kentucky to touch lives in some way. We see UK’s impact in university classrooms as well as K-12 schools through 4-H programs. We see this reach in recovery centers with Family and Consumer Sciences programming, in healthy fields and livestock herds, and in the growth of more resilient communities. We clearly influence student lives for the better, but it is our work to engage with every Kentucky citizen that sets us apart.

UKNow: What does “advancing Kentucky” mean to you?

Sheffield: Advancing Kentucky means doing our part to meet the needs of Kentuckians. We must offer the best opportunities to UK students but also learn about the needs of communities around the state and then take action to support those communities in ways that work for them. I would also say, advancing Kentucky means continuing the things our university already does so well, like student engagement, sustainability efforts and educational centers like the Arboretum, State Botanical Garden of Kentucky.

UKNow: How has your time at UK helped you be part of UK’s mission to advance Kentucky?

Sheffield: I have been fortunate to be a part of the UK system in various forms for 15 years now, so to say it has played a big role in shaping who I am would likely be an understatement. Through my education and extension positions, I have learned to hear and value different points of view informed by experience and passion and help develop them into innovative actions and grow passionate hearts. It is the people that make this university great, both on and off campus. The chances I’ve been given to help raise their voices and provide them with the knowledge and experiences they need to advance has been a gift. 

UKNow: What is your hope for UK’s next 160 years?

Sheffield: I hope the university continues to reach out a helping hand to Kentuckians. The faculty and staff employed here have a wealth of knowledge that can empower people of all economic, social and cultural backgrounds to make change and promote good. My hope is that the advancement of Kentucky remains a common goal among all that will work or study here, and that they each have an opportunity, no matter how big or small, to contribute to that goal.

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As we look forward to UK celebrating its 160th birthday on Feb. 22, UKNow is sharing more about these members of the UK community and what inspires them to do more and be more for the people of Kentucky. 

You can learn more about their stories here.